What You Mean to Me
by Foopuff
Summary: Fem!Todoroki. Shoko and Izuku are both aiming to be top heroes, and are both striving to do their best. Well, combine that with an eensy-weensy crush and a LOT of overthinking, and what do you get? Read and find out! Tododeku fluff
1. 1 Apologies

_[Foreword: This is a Fem!Todoroki AU, so don't be surprised by that. This IS my first fic, so sorry for any awkward sentences and such. If you're looking for some cool fight scenes, there might not be any, sooo... yep. The storyline mostly revolves around something non-actiony. Mostly fluff, nothing bad. Anyways, off to the story!]_

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"Hm? Do you need something, Midoriya?"

I look up to see the green haired boy, and I feel a twinge of nervousness. I immediately shove it down, annoyed as hell. My mind is a torrent of words and thoughts, and I scream internally for it to SHUT UP. I keep my face neutral though, not letting him know my inner struggles.

He blinks, and looks around. He seems to be embarrassed, but I have no idea why. Midoriya scratches the back of his neck, and I hear him mutter to himself, "Why DID I come over here? Class is over and I should be studying for the exams next week but yet I came over here anyways what am I trying to accomplish-"

He goes on like that for a full minute, and I just look at him. I finally notice that he's lost in his head again, staring at nothing while talking to himself, and I heave an exasperated sigh. I start snapping my fingers in his face.

"Earth to Midoriya? You're muttering again." His eyes snap further open, as if fully realizing where he was. His face turns red, and he throws his hands up to cover his face. An involuntary smile tugs at my lips. Midoriya's stammering apologies, and turns to leave. Why was he about to leave? Why did he come over to my desk in the first place?

Before he could disappear, though, I abruptly ask, "Hey! Do you want to study for the exams together?" It leaves my mouth before I could stop it, and while my face may appear neutral on the surface, on the inside I was freaking out. Why did I say that?!? I didn't need any help studying, and neither did he! I was about to retract my offer, when he surprises me. Midoriya whips around and looks at me with his shining green eyes. Then, presumably recovering from shock, gives me the brightest smile I've ever seen. "Oh, uh, sure Todoroki! How about this weekend, in the commons?" I nod, and say, "Sounds good" And thus, this Tuesday, I've sealed my fate.

 _IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII_

...I'm about to have a panic attack.

Well, not about to- I AM having a panic attack. I'm lying on my bed with a pillow over my face, trying to hide from every life decision I've ever made. Why did I offer that?!? What are we even going to be studying?!? I try to think up a list of subjects, then look at my bedside clock and realize it's time to get up for another day at UA. Today's Friday, a day before the weekend, and I think I'm going to pass out from anticipation.

Of course, I don't tell anyone that.

If anything, I look calm and collected, if a bit unemotional, as always. No one's going to notice that on the inside, my stomach is churning waves. At least, I hope not.

I turn off my alarm before it could start beeping, and change into my uniform. I grin to myself when I think of Midoriya's tie struggle. If only I could teach him how to tie it properly... Alas, I have no idea how to bring it up, so...

Slipping on my shoes, I trudge down from my room on the second floor, hoping with all my heart that I could manage breakfast. I step into the dorm's common room, to find it as it usually is- chaotic. Bakugo and Kirishima were brawling indoors. AGAIN. I see explosions, and I hear demented laughter from the red head, and the repeated words, "DIE" by the short-tempered blonde. Iida, I can tell, is frustrated beyond anything, because he can't stop them. Mineta and Kaminari are in the corner of the room, gesturing expressively and talking about- you know what, better that I don't guess. Uraraka and Momo are sitting on the couch, seemingly undisturbed by the explosions, absorbed in their conversation. I scan the rest of the room, only noting the absence of Midoriya.

Strange. Izuku Midoriya is a punctual person. He's never skipped class, except when he had such a bad fever he could barely lift his head, or when he broke almost every bone in his body and passed out from the strain. Even then he asked for his makeup work when we all came back to check on him.

I frown, and scan a second time to make sure. I walk up to Iida, and ask him where Midoriya was. Iida looks confused for a second, swiveling his head back and forth to examine the commons, before answering that he had no idea.

"He might still be in his room... hm... I'll go check up on him, and see if he's feeling ill."

I thank Iida, then watch him hurriedly run in the direction of the boy's dorms. I hope that he's alright...

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[ _*slight intermission- yes, it'll get better from here. Yes, I already have the story planned out. No, I don't plan on leaving this dead in the water. It'll probably be less than ten chapters, and I WILL FINISH THIS!!! It'll switch between Deku's POV and Todoroki's (don't worry, I'll let you know when I switch). Leave a review if you like it, or if you have any advice on how I can improve my writing skills, or if you just want to speculate! I'll answer any reviews in this little intermission here at the end of each chapter. I'll have the second chapter out probably tomorrow, because I already have it written. Anyways, that's all I have for now. Cheers to anyone who reads this! :-P]_


	2. 2 See For Herself

Chapter 2 Deku

I hear soft knocking on my door, and I freeze. "Midoriya? Are you in there?" I'm relieved to hear Iida's voice, because I don't think I could deal with anyone else right now... except for the dual-toned girl with fire and ice...

I uncurl from my fetal position on the bed, and make my way to the door. I crack it open, and ask in confusion, "Iida? What's wrong?" I add quickly, "Did something bad happen?!?"

He hurriedly assures me that, no, nothing bad has happened, and he said, "Actually, I came to check up on you. It's not like you to be late to anything, and-MIDORIYA, DID YOU GET ANY SLEEP LAST NIGHT?!?" He exclaims the last part as he took in my sleep-deprived state. I ignore the second comment and glance at the clock with a jolt, realizing that I WAS, in fact, almost late.

I thank Iida for reminding me, quickly shut the door, and rush about my room. I change from my favorite All Might pajamas into my school uniform, as always struggling with my tie.

...why was I feeling so nervous about this?

I sat on my bed last night, just imagining what could go wrong this weekend- and didn't notice that I literally spent ALL NIGHT thinking about it. Well, I may have dozed off, but not until the early hours of the morning.

I swing my backpack over my shoulder and rush out the door.

And immediately crash into Todoroki.

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She yelled as we both rebounded off of each other and fell onto the floor. My yellow backpack goes flying off to the side and lands with a thud. Todoroki was clutching her head in the same manner I was, in pain.

...why does life hate me?

And _why is she in the boys' dorms_?

I immediately apologize many times, my face going beet red. Todoroki's apologizing at the same time, though, with her face the same shade of red. In the middle of my stammering, I catch her hurriedly saying something about Iida sending her here, and coming to see for herself if I was alright. We stop when we realize we're both talking over each other, and start laughing at the awkwardness.

I grunt as I stand up, and hold out my scarred hand for her to grab. She stares at my hand for a second or two, then seems to come to a decision as she grabs it. I hoist her up off the floor, back into standing position. We exchange a few more apologies, and I decided to ask, "Todoroki, um... do you want to walk to class together? We're both heading in the same direction anyways..." I trail off, though, as I see her still staring at my hands.

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 _[intermission time! Sorry for this being so short :-P but I really wanted next chapter to be from Todoroki's perspective. Anyways, review answering time! FeelsEntrepreneur, thank you for telling me. I was really worried about my writing- still am, but your review made it better! Sorry about another shortie of a chapter, but it'll pick up, don't worry! FlamingSkyDragon, yeah, I've been intrigued by Fem!Todoroki too, and I admit I couldn't stop drawing her for a while. So, I thought "hey, why not make a story about this?" I actually first saw Fem!Todoroki from a comic, and she looked cool. Battbatt, I think Fem!Todo's awesome too :-D Thanks to all who stopped to review, it really made my day! Or, er, night... I barely got any sleep, tbh. -.-' Hope you stick around, the story continues from here!]_


	3. 3 His Emerald Eyes

_Todoroki_

His hands...

I almost forgot what he went through at the Sports Festival.

How could I? _How could I forget?_

My stomach drops, and I feel an old guilt settle back in my chest. I did that to him. Well, technically he did it to _himself_ , and his drive to win broke both his hands... but he injured himself when he was fighting- and helping- me.

"...Todoroki? Are you okay?"

His voice finally tears me from my depressing train of thought. I look back into his emerald eyes, full of worry. For me. He always puts others first, doesn't he? Wait... are those...

"You look like you haven't slept all night!" Izuku's freckled face, usually so cheerful, looks drained, and he has dark rings under his eyes. I guess he doesn't notice my abrupt subject change, and he seems surprised by my question.

He tries to laugh it off. It wasn't working. I stare at him, using my best 'penetrating gaze'. He shifts uncomfortably, then finally mumbles, "I had a lot on my mind lately." When he doesn't elaborate, I sigh, and let the matter drop. For now. Knowing Midoriya, he'll probably tell me once whatever's worrying him has passed. I impusively reach out my hand to touch his tired face, then freeze halfway through the act.

 _Well_.

 _That would've been weird_.

I finally notice how close I'm standing to him, and jump back with an imperceptible squeak. He gives me a puzzled look, but I act as if nothing weird had happened. I grab his yellow backpack from its spot on the floor and hand it to him with a small and hopefully unflustered smile. "Thank you," He murmurs, looking at the floor. Midoriya's like that for a beat longer than he should've been, so I poke him on the shoulder. "So... ready for class?" I ask in a failed attempt at cheeriness. I had a huge All-Might smile plastered on my face, trying to make him feel better. He blinks, then looks up at me. He starts chuckling.

"What?" My cheeks feel like they're cramping up. He stifles a giggle, then says with an expression that makes my heart skip a beat-

"You look like you're in serious pain!"

I drop the stupid smile, and replace it with a genuine one.

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 _[intermission time! Okey dokie! Heheh... if you're wondering how I'm writing these so fast, it's cause they're already written. I'm just trying to find time to post them. FlamingSkyDragon, thank you for your triumphant return! Yes, your first review didn't appear in the box, but luckily I got an email too! WOOP! I think I fixed it, so you should see your reviews now. Dragonfire987, thank you for stopping by! I'm really glad you guys like my little story! I was gonna post this chapter tonight, but I was like "screw it- I don't have_ patience! _Who came up with the word? Diabolical! Thank you also to all the other people who favorited and followed this humble journey, and continue with us still..._

 _BUT-_

 _If you ever feel like you want to be mentioned in this little intermission here, make sure to review! It only takes about a minute, and I can answer any questions you might have, hint vaguely to the future, fangirl(or fanboy if you're a dude) with you, and the like!_

 _Anyways, that's probably all until tomorrow. Thanks again for making it through this long authors note :-D Hope to see you soon! (P.S- I feel SO sorry for the people who listen to the automated voice who reads this. She reads the names weird, and with the dividers I used, she just repeats "I" over and over again, and it's the best thing ever XD. She kinda reads it like the people from Tomodachi Life...)]_


	4. 4 Break at Some Point

_Deku_

"Okay class, in today's English lesson, we're going to be going over _cool_ noun clauses-"

Present Mic continues his lecture, and I jot down notes in my notebook here and there. I already know about English noun clauses, but one can't be too sure when it comes to studying for exams. Speaking of studying...

I sneak a small glance to the back of the room, where Todoroki was scribbling in her notebook, her face a picture of extreme concentration. I see her long red/white hair pulled back into a French braid, which was resting over her right shoulder. The red and white strands crisscrossed over each other, until they came to an end at the hair tie. I look at her for a bit, then I see her dual-toned eyes dart back up to the board. I quickly glance away, hoping no one saw I was staring. I see new notes on the board as well, and hurriedly scratch them into my notebook. Confusion and anxiety can wait- I SAID THEY CAN WAIT GODDAMMIT- I need to focus on my lessons if I want to be the next number one hero.

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"Wait, you're going to be studying with TODOROKI this weekend?!? I'm so EXCITED for you!!!"

At the lunch table, Uraraka looks like she's about to burst with happiness. I can feel my face turn bright red, and I hide my head in my hands. Why is she so excited?!? "Not so loud, please? It's not like we're doing anything special..." Iida chuckles. "Please, Midoriya. Uraraka and I figured that something was going to happen between you two for quite some time now. Uraraka is just showing on the outside what I'm feeling on the _inside_." My jaw drops, and I look back over to Uraraka, who was squealing and waving her hands like she was trying to fly. "HUH!?! What's THAT supposed to mean?!?" We must've been talking pretty loudly, because Mineta, the grape-headed idiot (not that I'd say that out loud... probably) creeps up behind me, and I only know he's there because of his heavy breathing.

"Oh, is Midoriya a ladies-man now?" He moves in an attempt to sit next to me. "That's surprising. Well, I guess Todoroki _would_ like you, and she _is_ pretty hot. But to get her in bed, remember to-" before he could finish, I shove his head under the table with one hand. Indignant anger rises within me, and I can hear something within me snap. "Not NOW, you GRAPE HEADED IDIOT! Or, in fact, EVER! _NEVER COMPLETE THAT SENTENCE IN FRONT OF ME- or I SWEAR on ALL MY ALL MIGHT ACTION FIGURES-"_ I broke off, eyes widening. The words left my mouth before I could stop them. I see out of the corner of my eye Mineta climbing out from under the table, and running from the room after glancing back at me. But I didn't care. Not at the moment. The cafeteria was practically silent.

"Dude, did Midoriya finally snap?!? That's POSSIBLE?!?"

"The shitty nerd had to break at some point-"

"Wait, ALL of his All Might action figures? Do you know how many he HAS!?! He must've been really pissed..."

"What was he gonna swear!?!"

I hear the quiet murmurs, and finally realize what I'd done. I flush a deeper red, whimper, and hide my head under my arms, my forehead on the table. "Deku..." I can hear the concerned voices of Uraraka and Iida as they try to comprehend my out-of-character outburst. Usually, I'm a polite person. BUT...

I flinch when I feel a tap on my shoulder, and hesitantly look up. I immediately want to hide again. The last person I want to see at this moment.

Todoroki coolly looks around and takes in my distressed expression, the gaping people in the room, and my best friends' shell-shocked faces. She blinks once, twice, before finally saying something. "Do you feel it is best to leave at this moment? If so, I can accompany you," she asks with a silent question mark at the end of her sentence. I still sit there, but I'm staring at nothing, wondering WHY life hates me so much...

She heaves an annoyed sigh, and yanks me from the lunch table. With my head down, and in her eyes a challenge for anyone who dares cross our path, we leave the cafeteria.

 _IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII_

Todoroki leads me outside, where the cool breeze lifts some of the heat off of my face. We sit down under the shade of a small tree, and say nothing. I'm too embarrassed to start any form of conversation, and I HOPE to GOD that she didn't hear what Mineta was about to say-

"So, I caught what Mineta was saying to you-" GREAT. "And..." Her face was turned away from me, so I couldn't see her expression, but her voice was level and clear. "While I appreciate you standing up for me, I noticed it caused you a great amount of distress. If I'm a bother to you, please tell me- and-," her sentence falters, but she still continues. "-and I'll leave you alone." Shoko stands up to leave, still not facing me.

"Wait!"

I catch her hand in mine, and her head snaps around. I can see the fallen tears now, and more still glistened in her beautiful dual-colored eyes. As I took in the shock on her face, I enunciate every word clearly. "I'm not in distress because of you! I'm in distress because I know I could have handled the situation better, but- but I do _not_ regret what I did. I don't want you to leave me alone, because I... I..." Why is it so hard to get the words out? She stares at me, and I take a deep breath. I finally manage to say what I've been feeling for some time. "I like you, Todoroki."

She sees the determination in my eyes, then plops back down next to me. Todoroki hurriedly tries to wipe away the tears from her eyes with her free hand. She pauses, her sleeve still covering half of her face, and she looks at me and smiles softly.

"I like you too, Midoriya."

My heart stops as she whispers this quietly into her damp sleeve. She takes her hand away from her now-dry face and leans her head on my shoulder, which causes me to stay perfectly still. It was as if the slightest movement could scare her away. "And I'll admit, I was pretty happy with the way you handled things. God knows how many other things you could've said besides 'grape headed idiot'." I snort, then finally become aware of how close she is to me. Her head is on my shoulder, and I'm still holding her hand...

But she doesn't tell me to let go, and so we stay like this for a while.

Finally the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch.

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 _[intermission- did I finally manage to write a longer chapter? Yes?!? WOOP! Hope this is a bit better, chapters should start being longer than previous ones. Sorry if this chapter feels a bit cheesy, but hey, I posted it, so... yep._

 _FlamingSkyDragon and DreamingSpace, thank you for the support! I'm glad that you enjoy what I've been writing- I've been enjoying this experience too. Sharing stories are much more fun than having it sit in my notes, gathering metaphorical dust. And to all the people who favorited and followed this, thank you for making my day! I wonder if you guys know I'm not a fan of Mineta? Eh, you've probably figured it out._

 _Okay, next chapter! The next update will either be tonight at the soonest, with latest being Wednesday, cuz I got exams. Well, 'til next time, dear reader!]_


	5. 5 Texting and A Toothbrush

_"I like you, Todoroki."_

Focus, goddammit!

I try to shake these thoughts out of my head, but they stick like glue. I can still feel the ghost of his hand in mine, the calm silence we had...

 _I SAID. FOCUS!!!_

I almost smack my head, stubborn as it is. The last class of the day, and I need to get my notes down if I want to reach my goal of being the number one hero-

Heaving a silent sigh, I look up to the board and see Midoriya snap his head back to the notes on the wall, too. I internally scold myself. See? He's not letting anything distract him from HIS goal!

I set all my concentration on the scratches of pencil I make in my notebook, but still the determined green eyes remain in the back of my mind.

 _IIIIIIIIIIIIIII_

I breathe a sigh of relief. I finished all my homework for the weekend, and it's only 8:37. I sit there, staring at nothing- and now that I have no distractions, all my thoughts turn back to what happened at lunch.

 _Mineta was behind Midoriya, speaking softly, and I saw him stiffen. Mineta moves towards the vacant seat beside him, and I edge closer to hear better. Not that it was any of my business, but I didn't like the way it was setting Midoriya on edge. "...I guess Todoroki_ would _like you, and she_ is _pretty hot." Okay, so they're talking about me... Confused, I listen closer. "-But to get her in bed, remember to-" As my face heats up at the suggestion, I hear a slam and an angry growl from the usually friendly green haired boy, and a yelp from the short pervert. I abandon all attempts of stealth and snap my head towards the noise, embarrassment forgotten._

 _I have never seen him look so angry. I mean, he was PISSED; his eyes scream bloody murder. He starts shouting about him being a 'GRAPE HEADED IDIOT', which almost causes me to giggle. Almost. That's SO Midoriya. Even when insulting, he doesn't go too far. The cafeteria practically freezes to hear what the freckled boy was shouting. I sneak a glance at Bakugo, who looks like he's in shock at his outburst._

 _Izuku abruptly stops in the middle of his vow, and looks around at the bystanders. His face flushes a dark red, and he looks like he wants to disappear. He slowly but surely hides his head under his arms and makes a whimpering noise. "Deku..." Uraraka and Iida seem to be at a loss for words; I don't blame them. How does one handle a pissed off cinnamon roll?_

 _Aware of the onlookers, I slowly stand up and walk to Midoriya, who hasn't noticed my arrival yet. I poke his arm, and he flinches. With evident dread, he looks up, and makes a horrified face._

 _...I never want to be on the receiving end of that expression again._

I rub my temples, and try to clear my head. After that, we had a conversation outside, and he said that he liked me. Did he mean as a friend, or something more?!? What did I mean when I said I liked him too?!? I'm probably overthinking this... but what else can I do? Ah. Right. I get to study with Midoriya tomorrow. I need to identify my problem subjects, and plan accordingly. After all, it's not like it's a _date_...

Is it?

 _NO_.

I pull out my phone.

Messages:

 _Izuku- looking forward to it!_

 _Today_

 _You- Hey, what time are we meeting up tomorrow?_

I see three dots. That was fast.

 _Izuku- Hm... how about 10? And do you still want to study in the commons? I think Kacchan and Kirishima might make a big mess._

I smile at that, knowing it's probably true. They broke the coffee table just last week. And a window two days ago. Everyone knows Iida's right about fighting indoors, but no one can do anything about it except Mr. Aizawa. I reply:

 _You- Well, where else can we go?_

 _Izuku- My house? My mom has been dying to meet some of my new friends_

Almost immediately following:

 _Izuku- BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO!!!! Only if it's ok with u_

I grin at the insecurity in his words. It was so sweet.

 _You- Will she mind? It would be kind of short notice..._

 _Izuku- I'll ask to double check, but I'm pretty sure she'll be fine with it._

I set my phone on my little desk and try to think about what subjects we need to focus our attention on. I said _try_. I end up thinking about what Midoriya's mother would think of me, the daughter of the number two hero. What would she think about the vicious red burn scar I have that stretches from my left brow to my cheek? My reserved way of speaking? What I did to her son at the Sports Festival?!?

Oh God, what did I get myself into? I'm about to hyperventilate-

My phone dings, and I snatch it from the desk. I need to remember that this is Midoriya- and that he wouldn't willingly put me in a situation that I couldn't handle.

 _Izuku- She said that she'd love to meet you! We can probably meet outside the dorm entrance at 10, then walk together to the train. It'll only be a few minutes, and then I can show you what I call home!_

My heart is pounding in my ears. She wants to meet me? I can only think of the things she wants to say to me...

 _You- Ok. Sounds like a plan. Do I need to bring anything?_

 _Izuku- Whatever you want to work on, and your smiling self :-D_

 _You- You know I don't smile that often_

It takes a while for his three dots to make a message.

 _Izuku- Huh? But whenever I see you now, you're always smiling!_

...Is that true? I flush when I think of the potential contribution to my change in behavior.

It takes a minute to think of what to say...

 _You- nvm, make sure to get some sleep tonight, Midoriya_

 _Izuku- Haha... right. Ok, see you tomorrow!_

With that, I flip the screen downwards and set it back on my desk. I flop onto my floor-bed, and turn out my mini light. I'm already in my sleeping t-shirt and shorts, but I groan as I realize I still have to brush my teeth. I reluctantly roll off my cozy bundle and stand back up. I feel my way through the dark, making sure I don't accidentally kick anything. I don't even bother with shoes as I grab my toothbrush, some toothpaste, and leave my room.

 _IIIIIIIIIIIII_

...I should've stayed in bed.

All I wanted to do was brush my teeth, but, as usual, people get in the way of the simplest things.

"Sooo-" Mina Ashido started, wiggling her pink eyebrows. She scared me; I thought I was the only one here. Nothing betrays my feelings, though, besides the racing of my heart. She can't hear that, right?

"I heard on the grapevine you have a _date_ with _Midoriya_ tomorrow!"

I drop my toothbrush and curse, before looking at the other girl sideways. "And where exactly did you hear that?" Ashido makes a swirling motion with her finger as I reach into the sink to retrieve it. "Oh, ya know, around. But is it true?!? I mean, I sorta figured things would head in that direction-" _HUH?!?_ "-since like the end of first year, and I noticed you were, like, mentally undressing him today." She giggles and nudges me, and internally my jaw feels like it's about to hit the sink. _WHAT THE LITERAL_-

"Ashido." I coolly look over at her, and I pinch the bridge of my nose and squeeze my eyes shut. "What does that even _mean_?" She giggles again and points a finger at me. "Don't worry about it- you'll figure it out." She winks slyly, and before I could protest, and say that it WASN'T an actual date and I don't 'mentally undress people,' she grabs her own things and bolts out with a cackle. I try to create an ice barrier to halt her progress, but she jumps over it and barks another laugh. "ASHIDO GET BACK HERE NOW." I hear her fading voice shout, "Guys! I actually talked to TODOROKI about her love life!" And I sigh. I turn back to the mirror and finish the original task.

Note to self- install a sink in your dorms. Then you won't have to endure awkward conversations, or 'girl talk,' as much

 _IIIIIIIIIIII_

I'm still trying to figure out how to install a sink in my dorms as I blearily trudge through my hallway. Before I open my door, though, I recall Ashido's term, and I snort at the heat flooding my cheeks. "Mentally undressing him." Never heard _that_ one before.

I close the door behind me, and fall onto my covers, toothbrush be damned. I check my phone one last time to see if Midoriya sent anything else, but instead I find a text from Uraraka. Strange. She doesn't usually text me. I look at it, then decide I'll text her back tomorrow. I quickly glance at the time, and notice it's 9:46. She's probably asleep by now. And I should be, too.

I sit up to finally undo my braid, which I almost forgot about, and comb out the stubborn strands with my fingers. I flop backwards again, and put my arm over my face.

No matter how tired I may feel right now, I just can't seem to sleep.

I'm such a hypocrite. I tell Midoriya to get some sleep, when I can't even follow my own advice...

 _IIIIIIIIIII_

 _[Intermission- phew! Golly gee! This was a marathon compared to the others!_

 _Just so you know, the last bit ACTUALLY happened to me. Yes, 'tis true- I dropped my toothbrush in the sink- it was awful. There was foamy toothpaste all over the handle- what a nightmare! Oh, and the 'mentally undressing him' thing? Yep, that happened, too. I was mindin' my own business, walking with mah friend, and she teased that I was 'basically mentally undressing him' and I'm sad to say I didn't take it as coolly as Todoroki did (outwardly, anyways) BECAUSE WE'RE FRIENDS, THATS IT, MOVING ON-_

 _Review answering time! FlamingSkyDragon, I didn't even notice that I hadn't described her yet. Yikes. I'll try describing things in more detail now- and I do the same thing, btw. It's like a movie you play in your head, and I'm glad I get to write the script! Also see that you got an account- congrats! FeelsEntrepreneur, nice to hear from you again! Glad you like the way I'm taking the story, but we're not out of the woods yet! Nope! They're both still super confused! Or, at least Shoko is... You'll find out how Deku feels later. Tiguylerobot, thanks for dropping by, and yes, I thought you were Bakugo for a bit XD._

 _Things'll get better from here! Yep! (Hopefully) more lengthy chapters and more descriptions of stuff. So, anyways, tell me how you feel about the chapter, what you think might happen later, or what surprised you in a review! Bye for now!_

 _P.S.- You see what Deku did there when they were in class? Remember from last chapter? All I'm gonna say~ :)]_


	6. 6 Dopey Grin

...I DID _WHAT_?!?

Did I really just invite Shoko Todoroki to my house?!? Not even Iida or Uraraka have been there yet!

After ending our conversation, I cover my red face with my hands and try to hide from every life decision I've ever made that led up to this point.

Okay, this is fine. Deep breath. Just make sure to bring all the study materials.

...But _WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE STUDYING?!?_

What if I just bring everything? Hmm... well, I need to work on my physics skills, and I don't think Todoroki will mind going over it... My strong suit is math and history, but will she need me to help her with it? I should bring the list of subjects with me when we meet up, then I can just come back here and grab what we need-

 _You're muttering again, Midoriya. Go to sleep. It'll work out._

I tell myself this, but it strangely sounds like her... I sigh, silently agreeing with the inner voice.

I didn't comment on it earlier, but Todoroki seemed exhausted throughout the day; not sleep-while-standing tired, but just a bit out of it. She commented on my baggy eyes, but she looked just as bad. Like she didn't get enough sleep last night either...

I hope she follows her own advice tonight and gets some rest...

I slip into my All Might pajamas, and flip the light switch off. Setting my All Might alarm to go off at 6 for my morning run, I settle down on my bed and let random thoughts drift through my mind. Shoko said she doesn't smile often- but whenever I see her, she always has this little smile on her face. Maybe she doesn't realize it, the same way she hasn't realized how beautiful she is...

The rest of my thoughts consist of a tangle of emotions and indiscernible worries, but at the center of it all is a calming fire, surrounded by frost covered trees. The imagery surprises me, but that's the last thing I see before the tug of sleep pulls me under.

 _IIIIIIIIIIII_

 _I AM HERE. I AM HERE. I AM_ -

I crack my right eye open, head still fuzzy from sleep. I tap my alarm's snooze button, and groan. I lie there for a while, and when about five minutes pass, I tell myself I have to get up.

I go about my morning routine, and I'm ready to head out the door when the fog around my brain lifts and I belatedly remember what today is. Despite the surge of nerves, I smile happily into the darkness of my room. The door clicks behind me, and I'm on my way out. I'm still smiling when I leave the dorms and run into All Might's alternate form, Yagi Toshinori, the former number one hero.

"All Might? What're you doing here?"

He turns towards me, and says, "Ah! Young Midoriya! Glad you kept to your schedule!" He breathes a sigh of relief, and his shoulders relax a fraction of an inch. I'm confused by this statement, and it must have shown on my face. ...Just how long was he standing there?

He hurriedly adds, "I needed to talk to you. You seemed rather... distracted this week. Is there something going on? Is it anything I can help with? Or... wait..." Realization dawns on his face. "Is it a girl problem?" He smiles knowingly at the last part and nudges me with his bony elbow. I stutter, "N-no! I mean, m-maybe... i-it's n-not like t-that!" I wave my hands frantically in front of me, my sentences dissolving into gibberish.

All Might holds up a hand. "I get it. I just wanted to check on you, and make sure you were all right. Now I see you're probably better than all right!" He huffs a laugh, amused at my expense. I mumble, "Thanks..."

He turns a serious gaze towards me. "Remember why you're here, though. Making friends is encouraged, but don't lose sight of your goals." He stops for a moment, then adds, "Well, actually... you can have more than one goal... just don't bite off more than you can chew, okay Young Midoriya? I hear the girl you're after is a difficult one." I'm choking on air; how does _he_ know who I'm after, when _I_ don't even know who I'm 'after'?

All Might chuckles at my shocked expression as I register who he's referring to, and starts walking back towards the school. He calls over his shoulder, "Word spreads fast, kid! It's not everyday the nice kid snaps over something!"

I'm gaping at him as he throws a wave over his shoulder and leaves. I shake my head, hoping to get my thoughts back in order.

A nice run will clear my head. Yeah, that'll do it! I start jogging through my route, but one thing keeps coming back to mind.

 _'I hear the girl you're after is a difficult one'_

...She's not difficult, is she?

What did he mean by 'difficult'?

I run faster for a while and feel my lungs start to burn.

I don't think she's difficult. She's a great friend to have! Once she got to know me, she stopped being so weary around me; we had some interesting conversations, too. I smile. I remember the one we had when I asked what hero she thought was the best. We both unanimously agreed it was All-Might. I remember that I looked at her in confusion, and she shrugged, and reminded me, "Endeavor is not my hero."

All of a sudden rage burns inside me, as I remember what Shoko said at the Sports Festival. What her father did to her as a child. What her mother did.

Compared to my childhood, I had it easy. Sure, Kacchan was an ass- but I had a mother to come home to and lean on. She had to learn how to stand tall at a young age.

The anger overcomes the burning in my lungs and I sprint towards the endpoint. It's hard to believe I completed my entire route already, but I guess my thoughts distracted me for the most part. I see the patch of grass and collapse onto it, as per tradition, and huff until my breathing calms down. I close my eyes, and slowly, I can feel the negative emotions trickle out of my heart. It will resurface soon, but for now I put it aside.

It can wait.

The dual toned girl doesn't need another reminder.

After a few glorious minutes of lying prone, I reluctantly lift myself off the grass, and walk back towards the dorms for a shower.

I notice that my stomach is churning with excitement, and I can't fight the dopey grin that spreads across my face.

 _IIIIIIIIIIII_

 _[intermission: WOOP! Sorry this took forever to get out, I was internally conflicted about how the rest of this story will go, even though I already 'finished' it. Like, if I change one event, it can affect the_ whole _story in the long run! It's kinda cool to witness, actually. If you're wondering why All Might's making an appearance, it's because I thought their interaction would be funny. If it wasn't, sorry for my poor sense of humor. I thought it was funny -_-_

 _ANYWAYS, thank you to the new people here to read this, and the ones already here for sticking around, I really appreciate the support. It makes my day. Remnant's Sage, good guess, but I'm not spoilin' nothin'... it might play out like that, it might not. Vagueness- mah way to go! FlamingSkyDragon, I guess it is hard to imagine, but remember that she isn't showing it on her face most of the time. Most. (Unlike around Deku) Sure, she's screaming and such on the inside, but on the outside, she's_ cool. _Get it? Cuz she's... half ice... *sigh* And just so you know, your comment gave me an idea that I couldn't dislodge, so now it'll do something. Yes, that IS cryptic, and you should probably be worried. Mwahahaha. It probably isn't malicious, though... Eh, still working on it._

 _Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I can't wait for you to see the next! If there was something you particularly like, or something that's particularly bugging you, don't forget to review. Answering reviews are pretty fun. Cheers to another day! Huzzah! (Just found out 'huzzah' is a word my friend hates; now I'm using it all the time XD)]_


	7. 7 Elaborate Braid

At 6 in the morning, I find myself standing in front of Uraraka's door, and wondering for the hundredth time why she wanted to see me. I hesitate, then lift my hand to knock.

The door flies open, and I stare at Uraraka as she smiles at me with blinding energy. "Todoroki! I was waiting for so long!" I blink. I texted her back five minutes ago. And I said as much. Her cheeks twitch, "Sometimes waiting can make the minutes stretch out, you know?"

I look at her closer, and notice her puffy eyes and raw nose.

"Uraraka..."

"Hm?" She looks at me again, and I see the stiffness behind the bright smile. Oh no...

"Are you alright? You look like you've been crying."

Uraraka makes a choking noise, and starts to deny it. Then she sighs, finally dropping the faux smile. She opens the door further to let me in. "I hoped you wouldn't notice."

"If you consider us friends, then that's stupid."

She snaps her head towards me, then glances at the closing door. "Yeah, I guess so," she mutters.

I examine the basic room, then turn around and ask her, "So, what's wrong?" I add as an afterthought, "If it's Mineta, I'll roast him over a spit."

She blinks, then laughs at my forthright vow. "I wish..."

I sit on the bed, and look at her expectantly.

Uraraka stares, then I feel the bed sink as she sits next to me. "Didn't know you could do stuff like this." She mumbles. I say softly, "I _am_ a person, right? And when I see someone else hurting, I want to help."

The usually-happy girl gives me a weak smile, and whispers, probably to herself, "I guess you do."

I look at her uncombed brown hair, the red lining her eyes, and her pajama shirt that says "Dream Queen."

I keep staring at her, until she finally breaks the silence.

"I found out that someone I liked very much... didn't like me back the same way." I stare at her. Who wouldn't like this usual bundle of joy?

"I've liked him for a while... and then yesterday I found out he liked someone else. And I wanted to be happy for him, I really did, but I _can't,_ no matter how hard I try. Does that make me a bad person?"

I swallow. "Uraraka, no, it doesn't-"

She cuts me off, talking faster. "And I wanted to prove to myself that I can support them by helping them get ready for their date, but I _can't even do that!_ I feel so _selfish!_ Her eyes tear up again, and one runs down her cheek like a shooting star. Her fists are balled up in her lap. "I'm _failing_ at being a best friend I'm _failing_ at being support I'm _failing_ at making other people happy I'm _failing_ as a person I-" I interrupt her self-torture by pulling her into a hug. Uraraka goes stiff under my arms, then leans onto my shoulder. Her chest racks with sobs, and I squeeze her tighter, not wanting her to see my tears as a helpless feeling wells up deep in my chest. I rub her back, and ask quietly, "Uraraka, why are you torturing yourself over this? You're not failing at anything. Look, things may feel rough right now, but it will get better from here." She makes a noncommittal noise, and I sigh. "Why didn't you talk to me? I would've done something to help." She shakes her head vigorously, then whimpers. "No. You can't fix this."

There's a pause, and I feel horrible. Why isn't there anything I can do? "Just remember, I will be here to help you through this if it's the last thing I do. That much I promise."

Another sniffle. Her face is still on my shoulder, so I can only hear her muffled voice. "That's a great sentiment, Todoroki, but remember that you have to-" a hiccup, "go study with Deku today. I won't hold you back because of some petty jealousy I may feel."

I'm confused by the last bit, but then she snorts and says, "Look at me. I invited you over to fix your damn hair, and here you are trying to fix my broken heart."

Uraraka sits back up, breaking free of the hug, and wipes away her tears with finality. "Even though I may feel like I got run over by a truck, I'll support you and Deku with all I got. Because that's what friends are supposed to do. Now go over to my trunk and grab some damn rubber bands and a brush."

 _IIIIIIIIII_

I finger the elaborate braid that winds around my head and ends in the back with curls, making the red and white blend together in a way that makes it look like tendrils of fire slipping through snow.

I check my phone. Nine-thirty. I sigh, and in my free time try to think of some way to make Uraraka feel better. Maybe we should go down to the arcade when exams are over, my treat...

I plop down on the Common's couch, and drop my bag near my foot. I brought a few things I needed to work on, and more, just in case Midoriya needed help in a specific area.

I really wanted to comfort Uraraka,

but I Don't. Know. How.

I push my palms onto my forehead, slouch over and try to blink back frustration. I _will_ help her best I can, though.

That much I promise.

But for now, I push those thoughts aside, and remember that I'm going to be studying with Midoriya. That's it, _totallynotadate_. The train leaves at 10:30, so we agreed to meet up at 10 and walk to the station together. I prop my head on my hand, and zone out, waiting for time to pass by. I get lost in all my worries, concerns, and giddiness. Wait- giddiness?!? C'mon, Shoko Todoroki does _not_ feel 'giddy.' All my thoughts seem to have one center, though...

 _IIIIIIIIIIII_

A scarred hand waves in front of my face, and I snap out of my musings to see the subject of my thoughts.

He smiles when he sees me finally notice him. His green hair is as curly and unruly as ever, and he decided to wear a plain white shirt that said "sweater" on it, which makes me stifle a laugh. Midoriya's diamond-arranged freckles were as cute as I remember, but slightly tinged with pink as we finally lock eyes again, and realize: _Oh shit I was staring._

Then another, more subtle thought hits me. The way his simple shirt hugged his muscular frame, his charming smile, and _everything about him_ makes my heart lurch.

I blink and quickly avert my eyes, and I can feel my control over my quirk slipping. I internally grab hold of it and shove it back into my core, where they usually rest when I'm not using them. I must have made a weird face, because Midoriya looks at me strangely, but doesn't comment on it.

I pretend nothing happened and shuffle my hands through the books I'd brought. I glance back up at him and say, "Well, I think I have everything I need. Ready to go?" He nods, then smiles brightly. His cheeks twitch. "A-alright, let's go!" I try to ignore the stutter as I get up off the couch and grab my backpack. Wait, why's he stuttering? Is he nervous too?

I can't stop myself from visiting the worn path of pessimism. What if he's worried his mom won't like me? Will she like me? Will she pretend for her son's sake? DOES SHE LIKE SOBA?

I shake my head. Soba? What the hell's happening...

"Soba?" I start. Was I saying that out loud?!?

He laughs. "Yeah, you were Todoroki, and I think you picked up the habit from me-" As he goes off on a conversation tangent, I suddenly realize I don't want him to call me that. It doesn't feel right, I guess.

I abruptly ask him, "Hey, Midoriya, we're pretty good friends, right?" He stops his rambling to look at me fully, and nods in confusion. I'm looking anywhere except him, and I pause to wonder just what the hell I was doing. My gaze shifts back to Midoriya and I say with resolve, "So... you can call me Shoko." There are butterflies in my stomach now, and I feel like flying. Or throwing up. One of the two.

He blinks, and his face turns a cute shade of pink. His gaze darts to the floor. When Midoriya's gaze finally meets mine again, he smiles sheepishly. "Okay, Shoko," He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. When he opens them, he says to me with a small smile, "Then that means... you'll have to call me Izuku."

My eyes pop open and my face looks like someone punched me in the gut. I can tell he forgets about worrying as he laughs at my expression, with that amazing smile of his. I mutter, "Okay, Izuku, it wasn't _that_ funny." I can't help it; I end up grinning, too. His name feels strange in my mouth, but in a good way. He's wiping away tears, and looks back at me with his shining, mirthful eyes. My breath catches in my throat.

 _Flying or throwing up~_

"Already on a first name basis, huh?" We both jump, and whip around to the back of the couch, where we see Mineta's head peeking out. How did we not notice him there? His heavy breathing and creepy vibe overall should've given him away. Were we _that_ focused on our conversation?

His eyebrows wiggle suggestively, as he opens his mouth to say something else. He stops mid breath, and looks like he's seen a ghost. I turn to look at Midor- I mean Izuku, and see a murderous glare that could stop any villain in their tracks as they turn to stone. With a jolt, I remember all the All Might action figures he has...

I whip around to see Mineta, but he's already scurried away, almost running into a door in the process.

"He ruined the moment," I mutter dejectedly. Izuku quirks a grin, then drops it as he remembers something. He whips out his phone and looks at the time. "Crap! It's 10:23- if we want to make it to the train on time, we'll have to run!"

 _IIIIIIIIIIIII_

In short, we missed it.

Izuku looks like he's about to have a mental breakdown. I can hear him panicking, pleading under his breath, "Nononono-" as we helplessly watch the train rocket out of the station.

I feel terrible. If I didn't spend so much time worrying, we would have made it!

I look down, and I can hear Izuku forcing his breathing to calm. Eventually, he sighs, plops onto a vacant bench, and starts muttering to himself. "Guess we're not going to my house, then- but I guess we could always wait another few hours for the next one to come, but I'm not sure if that would be a wise use of time just to sit here and twiddle our thumbs, but wait- we still have our study materials with us, right? We could just study here, and then when the next one comes, get on... but studying at a train station is pretty distracting, and I don't think the noise would help at all. Plus, a bunch of people recognized us on the way here, so we might be interrupted a few times, and-"

I stare at him in disbelief. I can feel my brain melting... Why does he have to over complicate everything?!?

"Izuku?" I say hesitantly.

Nothing. I walk over to where he was sitting, until I'm right in front of him. "Um, hello? _Izuku_? ...Anyone home?" I wave my left hand in front of his face. He unconsciously grabs it, and starts stroking his thumb gently over my knuckles. He's still spaced out, lost in his muttering, and he hadn't noticed what he's done yet. I wish I could say the same. _He grabbed my hand_. My eyes widen in shock, and my breath catches. Again. I might die of suffocation if I don't learn how to breathe around this guy.

He blinks, and comes back to the world of reality. His face turns a bright shock of red, "Ah! U-um..." He abruptly releases my hand, and I hide it behind my back. We both have no idea what to say, so we're just like that for a minute or two.

...Why do we have to over complicate everything?

 _IIIIIIIIII_

 _[Well, Sorry this took so long. I managed to pull a Reki Kawahara with this one... I had a story written, then started editing bits and pieces, adding stuff in, and now I'm probably gonna rewrite a bunch of stuff. Oh well._

 _For reviews~ FlamingSkyDragon, thank you for giving me an idea! See, I was originally just gonna have them miss the train, but now I might add more than originally planned laterrrrr... Glad you enjoyed the teasing lol. Twilit Lord, I was surprised to see you here! Thanks for stopping by, and I'm really glad you like it. I'm gonna continue this, don't worry, it just might take a bit longer because of revisions and all that good stuff._

 _Shout-out to Remnant's Sage, who didn't review this time, but actually helped me want to add a bit more depth to a side character... No declarations of war though (heh)._

 _Thank you all who stick around, and I hope you liked this chapter. The next one may be out soon, it may not. I'm really sorry for the inconsistent schedule, but I promise it'll (probably) be worth the wait!_

 _Next chapter: finally! What we've been waiting for! The damn study session that they've been talking about for the past 7 chapters! I wonder how it will go? Will Uraraka reappear? Will Bakugo and Kirishima break another window? Will Midoriya get knocked out by an out-of-control history book? WILL MINETA BE ROASTED OVER A SPIT?!?_

 _Those were all just random hypothetical questions, but I'm kinda hoping for the last one to be honest. But who knows! Heh... I actually_ do _like the last idea a lot..._

 _Anyways, until next time,_

 _Foopuff_

 _(P.S. I thought document manager deleted this whole chapter after I added the finishing touches, and I was REALLY freaking out. Like, it replaced the whole chapter with Chapter 2. Gosh, I almost had a friggin' heart attack.)_


	8. 8 Things like This

_[Hey guys. Miss me? Heh. Well, I must say I'm pretty proud of this story and how far it's come, since, you know, this is the first fanfic I'm gonna finish. So... WOOP! Hope you enjoy it guys and gals!]_

 _IIIIIIIIIII_

How can I fix this?

I have no ideas. Todoroki's face is bright pink, and her hands are behind her back. Her gaze avoids mine.

It's been at least a full minute... C'mon, say something, goddammit!

I clear my throat, and her glance darts towards me. "So... where should we go now?"

 _IIIIIIIIIIII_

I already texted Mom saying we weren't going to come home. She texts that she can still come over next weekend, when exams are over. I don't know if I'll ever gather the nerve to ask her, though...

We end up lugging our backpacks back to the dorms, (since walking was faster than getting stuck in traffic) and we stand at the door for a while. We hear a loud _BOOM_ , a _CRACK_ , a few death threats, and maniacal cackling. Todoroki sighs, then says, "Do we have to go in there?"

I contemplate our choices. "Hmm... Maybe the best bet would be my room. It's a bit farther from the commons than yours, Todoroki." I realize too late that I used her family name, but it's too late to correct now. She stiffens, then replies coolly, "Okay, _Midoriya_." I see a light go off in her head, and she smirks. "Just remember- to get me in bed, you have to-" I shove her shoulder as she starts cackling, and push forward towards my dorm, trying to pretend my face isn't burning with embarrassment. Stupid Mineta. Now she has THAT hanging over my head.

 _IIIIIIIIIIIIII_

I lean back in my chair, and rub my eyes. Todoroki yawns, and turns yet another page. The All Might posters smile down on us, and his figurines sit silently on the shelves. I really wish I could start a conversation, or at least provide a thought-provoking remark, but my brain is _not_ complying with me today. We've been going over study materials for the past three hours, and I feel like I'm about to fall asleep.

The book slams shut. Todoroki sighs, and rubs her eyes, too. "Okay, I need a brain break." I blink. "A... what?" She glances at me in confusion. "You... don't know what a 'brain break' is?" It takes a moment to process- since my brain is almost shut off- before I get what she means.

"Ah. Yeah, let's take a break."

She tilts her head back and rests it on the wall behind her, closing her eyes. I mimic her, my eyes enjoying the brief respite. I get bored after a few minutes, though, and open my eyes back up. I find Shoko's eyes open, too, with her grey and blue gaze fixed on me. They widen in shock and she immediately averts her gaze. I pretend like I didn't notice, for her sake if not anyone else's.

"So... Since we seem to be taking a break... What's your favorite color?" Todoroki asks to break the silence.

I immediately respond, "Green." She seems surprised at my speedy answer, then snorts when she notices why. She takes another look at my hair and starts laughing harder.

I laugh too.

Once we calm down a bit, I ask, "So, Shoko, what's your favorite color?"

She puts her hand under her chin to indicate her thinking intensity, then answers. "Either green or a light grey..." She mutters, looking upwards. Her hand is still on her chin, and I smile to myself.

"So you like green too?"

She absentmindedly nods, then her expression comes back to reality. "AH! I mean- I like the COLOR green- it's really cute- not that I think _you're_ cute-" Shoko looks alarmed and starts talking faster, "But you are, and your hair is, though, what with how curly it is- WAIT! I didn't say that! I mean-" Her sentences eventually dissolve into gibberish as her head hid further behind her arms, and her knees came up to curl into a fetal position. Her face is a cherry pink, and her hair is smoking on her left side. My face is pretty warm, too, and I have no idea what to say.

She whimpers like a kicked puppy, and I don't know what to do. I know I should do _something_ , though... Eventually, I decide to get up from my chair and place my hand on her head in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture.

" _Ah_ -" I flinch back. I look down at my right hand, and see my fingers covered in ice, and my palm a bright red. Shoko looks alarmed. "Izuku! My God, are you okay?" She seems to forget about her embarrassment as she shoots out of her seat to where I was. She takes my abused appendage with surprising care, and gently says, "Why does this keep happening? Your hands probably hate me." She mumbles something else after a brief hesitation. "And I know your mom would hate me, too." We both move to sit on my bed, where she uses her quirk to thaw the ice.

I glance at her lowered eyes, shocked that she had these insecurities. "Why do you think Mom would hate you?" She doesn't look at me as she gestures with her free hand towards my scarred one. "Because of things like _this._ I keep hurting you, even when I don't mean to. You probably would be better off with Uraraka or someone who's as gentle and kind as you are-"

"But they're not you."

Her head snaps up, surprise and confusion in her eyes. I can feel my face warm. I don't know why she's still _surprised_ about this, but I can't afford to be sheepish. My friend's feeling down, and I just have to tell her. My face is serious, and I say gently but firmly, "You always know exactly what to do, even when you have no idea- you always take into consideration what others feel- you saved me and Iida from the Hero Killer on a moment's notice- you beat me fair and square at the sports festival-" She starts to protest, but I barrel onwards. "-You stood up to Bakugo when he was being a dick- rescued me from Mineta's aftermath at lunch- actually agreed to study with me- and you want to become a better person _and_ hero, like me! _Yet, you still have doubts about whether I like you or not!_ " I say the last part exasperatedly. She stares at me in shock. My burst of courage fails. I look at her expectantly. Her gaze shifts downwards again.

"I... don't understand you sometimes, Izuku..."

I sigh, then throw caution to the wind. I lean forward, and bring my uninjured hand upwards to cup her cheek, and tilt her face towards mine. Shoko stills, and looks at me with imploring eyes. I close the distance.

And I kiss her.

What surprised me was she was kissing me _back_.

It was sweet and warm, and I forget about my injured hand as it goes to circle around her back to pull her closer. One of her hands is thumbing my cheek, and the other is lost in my hair. The kiss was tentative at first, as if we were both scared of hurting the other. Then it got deeper and more desperate, and she made a _noise_ in the back of her throat that sent pleasant shivers up my spine.

When we finally pull apart, we look at each other in amazement. I can admire her heterochromic eyes in detail, and the way they were staring into the depths of my soul. Our foreheads are still practically touching, our warm breath intermingling. She traces my cheek with the tip of her finger in the shape of a diamond, and I feel my heart tug at the sight of her... I give her a lopsided grin.

"Did you understand _that_?"

"Kinda hard not to, to be honest."

She grins back, and tugs affectionately on my hair. She leans into my chest, and my stomach has butterflies. I wrap my arms around her, savoring the moment I never thought would come. I saw a new light shine in her eyes. Or maybe it was always there, and I never noticed before.

After a while, she finally breaks the comfortable silence. "Heh... well, I guess you managed to get me in bed."

I grimace, and sigh. "And I almost forgot about that too." We both laugh nervously.

"Well, at least no one's accused you of 'mentally undressing' someone." She murmurs cryptically. I genuinely laugh at her openness, and say, "Ashido doesn't just say stuff like that to _you._ "

Shoko squeezes her eyes shut and groans, " _Oh my God, she said it to you too?!_ " I flush, trying not to think about it too hard. Ashido can be... well, Ashido sometimes. I search for a change of subject, and reach over her to grab a notebook lying on the bed. I straighten back up, still with Shoko in my arms, and I whisper in her ear:

"Alright. Now let's finish going over some _cool_ noun clauses."

Shoko snorts and lightly shoves my shoulder when she sees my near-perfect facial imitation of Present Mic, and in that moment, everything feels right in the world.

 _She_ makes everything right in the world.

 _IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII_

 _[Well guys, you made it! All that's left is the epilogue, and boom! My first finished fanfic! Thank you so much for the patience and the support, I really appreciate it! Too bad you didn't get to see Mineta roasted over a spit, but ah, it seems we can't have everything._

 _On to reviews! Thanks so much for taking time to do these, by the way- they mean a lot to me. Guest-ah, I mean, FlamingSkyDragon- sorry about the lack of Cat-Cafés. I actually_ really _want to do another story where they visit a cat cafe, but that can be later... yep, just the plain ol' dorms, where shit gets blown up every other day..._

 _Baji- glad you like it! I really love Tododeku, and was surprised to see that there aren't that many Fem!Roki fics... And yes, Mineta is REALLY afraid of Izuku XD. He may or may not have wet himself with their last encounter._

 _That should be all- sorry if you don't hear from me for a while, if it comes to that. I'm not dead, and this thing isn't done yet. You have my assurances, and, as another author has said, "If I ever leave this dead in the water, I shall eat my own hat."_

 _So, with that... See you later!_

 _(Btw, have any of you read "Yesterday Upon the Stair"? My god, I've been binge reading for the past two weeks and I'm in_ love _with the story. You can find it on An Archive of our Own. I HIGHLY recommend it!!! Mika is the best cat ever)]_


	9. Epilogue: Hold Her Tight

[ _OKAY, FINAL STRETCH!!! Finally!!! OMG, I'm so sorry I left this hanging so long— buuut hopefully it's worth the wait. Ok, so I did something different this chapter. It will be mainly from Midoriya's POV, but the sectioned off bold parts are from TODOROKI'S POV. Just wanted to clear that up before you read!]_

"Sho, why are we-"

"Shh!"

She puts a finger to her lips, and we both duck behind a corner. We're on the girls' side of the dorms, which is a question in and of itself, but Shoko must have dragged me here for something important. Following the "No talking rule," I sign instead. _Why are we watching Uraraka's room?_ She stares at me blankly, and I just sigh and raise an eyebrow.

"You'll see-" she starts to whisper, but then abruptly stops when she looks around the corner again. Curiosity getting the better of me, I follow her lead, then almost choke on perfectly good air- why was _Kacchan_ of all people standing in front of her room?! And Shoko's standing next to me, a determined look on her face.

I pull back in alarm, and was about to ask what the _hell_ was going on, when Uraraka's door opens and I see the brown haired girl emerge and make a surprised noise. Their voices are too low to hear, but I can see Kacchan's uncomfortable stance from where we were hiding. He looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. Which is... unsettling.

"He's had his eye on her since first year's Sports Festival, you know." The dual-toned girl next to me says. "And I thought that since she was feeling down, Bakugo could just help by being himself."

"An egotistical bastard?"

"Eh, he's only like that around you."

"What."

"He's actually a pretty good guy, in a... not-so-obvious way." She pauses, then backtracks. "Sometimes. Rarely. With people he likes. Which fortunately isn't you or me."

She's trying to explain her logic to me, but it's all going over my head. My mind is still caught on one thing- Kacchan can be _nice._

"And I asked him to come and ask her out to the arcade or something when our exams were over."

"WHAT?"

"Well, okay, not really ask per say, more like..."

IIIIIIIIIII

 **"Hey _Bakugo_!"**

 **I bark and knock on his door. Hard.**

 **From somewhere behind the door, I can hear him shout,**

 **"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT, ICYHOT."**

 **"Open the damn door and I'll tell you, idiot!"**

 **"GET THE FUCK OUT!"**

 **"MAKE ME."**

 **I bang on the door harder, and keep going until I finally hear dangerous grumbling close to it, and cross my arms.**

 **It opens a crack. Murderous crimson eyes bore holes through me. "What. The fuck. Do you want."**

 **"Uraraka needs help."**

 **I could see him freeze mid-thought. Seeing my chance, I continue, "And it's all your fault. You need to make it up to her."**

 **He rolls his eyes and says in a biting tone, "I haven't even spoken to her for two weeks, Half-n-Half. How the fuck did you think I was going to believe that?"**

 **I sigh. Worth a shot. "Listen, Uraraka's been a little sad lately, and I happen to know just the guy to help her feel better-"**

 **He opens his door wider, and says with disbelief, "Are you fucking serious? ARE YOU- fuck, of course you are. Can't joke worth a shit," he says to himself.**

 **"Glad to know how trustworthy I am," I deadpan. "But seriously, Uraraka needs you right now."**

 **Bakugo looks away, and if I didn't know him I'd say he seemed a bit embarrassed. "How the fuck am I supposed to help with anything? I know she's been hung up over the damn nerd for almost two weeks now. Why do you think I've been keeping my distance? She's not going to feel better just because I managed to grace her with my 'angelic presence.'"**

 **I snort, and he glares bitterly into the wall. "I think she just needs someone to talk to about all this. And she knows you'll be honest with her about your opinions." I pause, "And she doesn't exactly want to talk to me..." I clear my throat, and say, "Just- take her to the arcade or the mall or wherever this weekend. If you want a first step, there you go."**

 **"And if I say 'Fuck off, it's my damn life'?"**

 **"I won't leave."**

 **He evaluated my serious face, and my crossed arms. He sighs, sliding his palm down his face in defeat.**

 **"Damn it. Fine, IcyHot. I'll do it this Saturday. But only because _I_ want to."**

 **I beam, and he moves to shut the door, "Now get the fuck out." He grumbles, and then I'm alone in the hallway.**

 _IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII_

"...Told. And wouldn't leave until he promised."

Of course she would.

I turn to look at Uraraka's face again, and see how it brightened when she saw him. I give a small sigh of relief when I see Kacchan's attempts at staying civil.

"Well, it looks like we can leave them to it..." Shoko whispers, and grabs my wrist as she practically drags my dumbstruck butt away from the unlikely pair. Once we're far enough away, she looks back at me with a mischevious grin.

Well, who am I to call them unlikely?

She opens a door and we both slip into her room. I shut the door behind me, and there's silence. My eyes meet hers, and we both grin stupidly. Emphasis on the _stupid._ I start laughing uncontrollably and Shoko stares at me with her confused grin. "What's so funny?" She asks once I fall onto the floor and continue wheezing. I think I'm crying a little.

"I have NEVER seen KACCHAN LOOK SO UNCOMFORTABLE." I cackle some more.

"It's a gift." She says airily.

"That you can make people uncomfortable?"

She snorts. "Did I tell you about that one time I accused a certain someone of being All Might's secret love child?"

"Oh, you mean stuff like _that."_

After I've finally calmed down, I sit next to her on the futon, and she leans her head on my shoulder, most of her weight against me. Grinning to myself, I suddenly tip backwards, and she makes a surprised noise as we both plop over and end up lying on our backs, staring at the ceiling. She punches me lightly on the shoulder, but doesn't move to get up.

Hating to break the comfortable silence, I close my eyes. "Hey, Sho?" I can feel the futon move underneath me as she turns her head.

"Hm?"

"Do you... think you're ready to try and meet Mom again? I mean, last time we missed the train, but if we try again I feel like you would really like her and she will definitely like you and I'm pretty sure she likes soba and..."

She puts a finger to my lips, and I stop talking. "Yes. I feel I'd be ready to meet her now. But... Do you want to know my biggest fear, Izuku? I walk into your home and she shouts at me about basically roasting you. After I nearly froze you solid. And then blowing you up with the sudden use of said roasting techniques-"

I open my eyes to see her faint smile. It's my turn to poke her cheek. "And _I_ almost blew you out of the stadium on _multiple_ occasions. Tell your brain to pick a new guilt trip."

She scrunches her nose and sticks her tongue out at me. I mirror her, and then go back to staring at the ceiling. Well, she does. Instead, I try to memorize each feature I can see on her face, from the way her turquoise eye sparkles when she jokes to the quirk of her underused smile. "Shoko?"

That bewitching turquoise eye slides towards me. "Hm?"

"I love you."

Caught off guard, she blinks for a second. Then she turns her full face to me. She smiles warmly and turns to throw an arm over my chest.

"I love you too, Izuku."

 _IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII_

 **(About one week earlier)**

 **"Wait, Todoroki- are you saying you _kissed_ _Midoriya_ -"**

 **Inside of Yayorozu's rooms, my eyes grow wide and I lunge to cover her mouth. "Not so loud! Someone may hear you! These walls are** ** _paper thin!_**

 **She smirks mysteriously. She says in a low, teasing voice, "Guess I owe Ashido and Hagakure five dollars."**

 **As I sputter and manage to choke out, "You made BETS?!" Momo just waves it off with a hand. "Kidding, kidding! They actually owe _me_ five dollars. I bet you would do it at some point this month- your puppy eyes were adorable, Sho, and made me want to hug you- but for some reason I was the only one who noticed! Hey, don't look at me like that!" She boops my nose as I try to glare my thoughts telepathically.**

 **I huff and cross my arms, not looking at her.**

 **I hear her snicker.**

 **"And I'm NOT POUTING." I declare monotonously.**

 **"Right, right, and I'm a Disney Princess. Anyways, onto more important matters... What are you going to do now? Do you really like him like that?"**

 **I give her a flat, level look. "If I didn't like him, I wouldn't have kissed him, would I?"**

 ** _"He_ probably kissed _you_." She muttered. I continue as if I hadn't heard her. "And I don't know yet. I still have to meet his mother soon, and we need to actually finish exams first."**

 **"But Sho," Momo starts, "How will your parents react when they find out you're seeing someone?"**

 **"Mom'll be happy, I guess. And that bastard? What makes you think I care?"**

 **"Ah, right. Never mind then. So you don't care if he finds out?"**

 **I suck in a breath and wince. "I... didn't say that. I don't care what he thinks about _me_ , but I don't want to put Izuku in that position. Can you imagine him trying to meet my father 'officially'? After he basically told that asshat to fuck off a year ago?"**

 **Yayorozu snorts, and says, "Well, you know, people usually save the whole 'meeting parents thing' until later."**

 **I groan. She leans forward to rub my back comfortingly. "Hey, it'll be okay. If Midoriya's mom is anything like him, you'll be fine." She pauses. Then I hear her warm voice murmur in my ear, "On a slightly related note... Was he a good kisser?" And barely managed to escape the fire that erupted from my burning face. She falls flat onto her back and holds her stomach as she cackles. "I'M SORRY! I JUST HAD TO! You should've seen the look on your face!"**

 **As I hide my head in my hands, I grumble, "Why are you my best friend again?" And she laughs some more.**

 **"Alright, come on. Stop moping-"**

 **"I'm _not moping_ -"**

 **"-And let's finish up studying for history and physics. After tomorrow, there's only the physical exam."**

 **"Do you remember last year's physical exam, Momo?"**

 **She grins. "Yes, Sho, I do. Such a gentlewoman to turn away when I was making Mr. Aizawa's scarf."**

 **"Actually, I was talking about the cute Russian nesting dolls you made. But sure, that too."**

 **She laughs, and we continue studying in the comfortable atmosphere.**

 _IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII_

I look back on my final exams, and I shiver a bit.

We were up against Principal Nezu this year, and I was paired up with Kirishima.

By some miracle, we passed. I think Nezu was having too much fun beating on us with his teapot-themed death trap... He didn't notice what we were up to until Kirishima grabbed his foot and I got the hand cuffs on him.

I remember Shoko's exam with Uraraka, even though I was only able to catch a glimpse of the end. Sho distracted Cementoss with her fire while she made a skating ramp for Uraraka with her right side. Our teacher tried to break the ice with his rapidly drying cement, but by that time Uraraka was already in front of him. She grabbed his arm, and using her forward momentum, flipped over him and threw him onto the floor. She handcuffed Cementoss with her 'battle hero' face, and then immediately started fussing over our teacher, who just had the breath knocked out of him. I could see his placating hand gestures, and looked over to find Shoko smiling a little before walking over to give her teammate a high five and help Cementoss up.

So, we both passed. Well, everyone except Aoyama and Toru passed, actually. His naval lasers and her invisibility didn't go very well together...

Well, either way, our second year passed by pretty quickly. Internships, villains and all, I would still miss it. Looking forward onto my third year, I feel a heavy lump of dread and anxiety, because All Might isn't active anymore. I'll _need_ to be able to control my quirk before I graduate, so I can become the next Symbol of Peace and finally be able to stop whatever the League of Villains has planned.

 _But, until that day comes..._

"Hey, Izuku! Are you ready to go? We better hurry before I lose my nerve."

Snapped out of my reverie, I glance up at one of the brightest lights in my life. I smile radiantly and stand up from my spot on the common's couch. I pull her towards me for a surprise kiss. She makes a noise as she kisses me back, then pulls away to bury her head in my shoulder. I hear her muffled voice playfully grumble, "God, you're going to make me _blush_ when I meet your mother."

I laugh and hold her tight. "Don't worry, we can do it!" I feel her peck my cheek and squeeze me one more time before she moved towards the door, dragging me behind her by the hand.

 _I'll enjoy being next to the wonderful girl that came into my life through a storm of ice and fire._

 _IIIIIIIIIIIIII_

 _"AWWW, YOU'RE EVEN CUTER IN PERSON!!!"_

 _Mrs. Midoriya squeals as she pinches Shoko's cheeks. She looks shocked at the warm welcome, and briefly glances at Izuku before laughing at the absurdity of it all. Looks like there_ wasn't _anything to worry about..._

 _Inko Midoriya takes her hands and pulls her into the living room, chattering about different types of tea and how she's so proud her Izuku made such nice friends._

 _Shoko still looked a bit stunned, but quickly remembered how to talk and thanked her profusely for letting her visit. Inko waved it off, and said she's welcome anytime. They talked for a while, with Izuku sitting next to Shoko, sipping his tea and occasionally adding details to stories._

 _Eventually, they get to the baby pictures._

 _"No, MOM-"_

 _Inko was gushing as she pulled out a huge (probably at least ten-pound) album with a picture of her and five-year old Izuku in an All Might onesie on the cover. She started flipping through pages and paused long enough for Shoko to see a bunch of pictures of him 'saving' his mother. She was smiling so much it hurt, but it was just too cute... "He went by Small Might, Mighty Man, All Might Junior-"_

 _"MOM."_

 _And so things went from there._

 _IIIIIIIIIII_

 _[Well, there ya go! If you wanted, you can always imagine even MORE embarrassing things for our dear Izuku! But I'll have mercy on him... For now. Next story, no promises-_

 _FlamingSkyDragon, hope this was something you had in mind. For the epilogue I planned like a major scheme and stuff, with your cheering and recommendations in mind! Bajy, thanks for showing your enthusiasm, and I hope you thought this was a fitting close for their story. ThatOneNerd, thanks for your comment! It actually was the kick in the pants that got me writing a bit again. I have to say, thank you all SO MUCH for sticking around, because I probably should've finished this sooner.. I had MAJOR writer's block and then so much stuff happened so I had no time even if I DID want to write and- yeah, no more excuses. And just so you know, I DO see all y'alls who favorited and followed. I hoped you enjoyed it, because it was really fun to write, once I finally got to it. Thanks for the patience, and for the support! Hopefully I'll see you again soon!! I purple you!!! (Luv ya)_

 _(Ok, now I just gotta pull the trigger and publish this)_

 _-Foopuff_

 _P.S. if you're looking for another good Fem!Todoroki fic, "I like your face" by WritingTrash is REALLY good._

 _ **P.P.S. Sorry if you get another notif b/c I fixed a few typos here and there]**_


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